frequency

noun

fre·​quen·​cy ˈfrē-kwən(t)-sē How to pronounce frequency (audio)
plural frequencies
1
: the fact or condition of occurring frequently
the frequency of automobile accidents
2
a
: the number of times that a periodic function repeats the same sequence of values during a unit variation of the independent variable
b
: the number, proportion, or percentage of items in a particular category in a set of data
3
: the number of repetitions of a periodic process in a unit of time: such as
a
: the number of complete alternations (see alternation sense 1) per second of an alternating current
b
: the number of complete oscillations (see oscillation sense 3) per second of energy (such as sound or electromagnetic radiation) in the form of waves

Examples of frequency in a Sentence

the alarming frequency of serious automobile accidents caused by young drivers The frequency of student errors was frustrating to the young teacher. Our visits decreased in frequency. Errors were occurring with increasing frequency. a sound wave of high frequency waves having very different frequencies from one another a current having a frequency of 60 hertz a radio frequency of 30 megahertz
Recent Examples on the Web But Moscow’s capability to overpower Ukrainian signals by broadcasting on the same frequencies at higher power is putting Kyiv at a disadvantage. Maria Varenikova, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024 Biden has not advocated for direct payments of that amount or frequency to any subset of Americans. Joedy McCreary, USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2024 In medical offices, some health care workers make T-zone touches with the same frequency as people do in public, although clinicians do so slightly less often. Sabrina Sholts, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Mar. 2024 Wildfires are expected to increase in frequency and severity. Quentin Septer, WIRED, 11 Mar. 2024 Ukrainian drone units often need soldiers who are skilled in coding to change the frequency on a drone’s software. Yurii Shyvala, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024 In contrast, true time-delay elements can equally delay all the frequencies across large bandwidths, avoiding the blurring problem. IEEE Spectrum, 8 Mar. 2024 The airline will also increase frequencies to popular destinations, including Hong Kong, Seoul, and Porto in Portugal, as well as plan to add four weekly flights between Los Angeles and Shanghai on Aug. 29 before increasing that to daily flights in late October. Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 7 Mar. 2024 Analyzing cases of unsupervised melatonin ingestion in young children during emergency department visits also underestimates the frequency of melatonin ingestions by children 5 and under, the researchers said. Amanda Musa, CNN, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'frequency.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of frequency was in 1600

Dictionary Entries Near frequency

Cite this Entry

“Frequency.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frequency. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

frequency

noun
fre·​quen·​cy ˈfrē-kwən-sē How to pronounce frequency (audio)
plural frequencies
1
: the fact or condition of happening often
2
: how often something happens : rate of repetition
3
: the number of repetitions of a periodic process in a unit of time: as
a
: the number of times per second that an electric current flowing in one direction changes direction then changes back
a current having a frequency of 60 hertz
b
: the number of waves (as of sound or electromagnetic energy) that pass a fixed point each second
a sound having a frequency of 1500 hertz
the frequency of yellow light
4
: the number or proportion of one kind of item in a group
the frequency of chocolate doughnuts in the box

Medical Definition

frequency

noun
fre·​quen·​cy ˈfrē-kwən-sē How to pronounce frequency (audio)
plural frequencies
1
: the number of individuals in a single class when objects are classified according to variations in a set of one or more specified attributes
2
: the number of repetitions of a periodic process in a unit of time

More from Merriam-Webster on frequency

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